Come As You Are
by CastielKicksAss
Summary: Arthur's in college and needs an escape…Eames/Arthur


Another fic using the song "Getaway Car" by the Jenkins. Hope you enjoy!

I own nothing. Here we go...

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_Remembering when we first met _

_we had that adventure in our eyes _

_but something got away, i guess _

_in the everyday of our lives _

_and i don't know what keeps us here _

_let's disappear and start all over again_

When Arthur first fell in love with Eames it was the beginning of college and Arthur had just been shoved out of his dorm by his stuck up roommate. With no place to go Arthur went and sat on one of the benches outside and thought about what he was going to do for the night. He had met two people that he could say he _actually_ liked, Cobb and Ariadne. Beyond those two he had only received snotty remarks because of his lack of money and influence. Arthur hadn't traveled the world like they had though he would love to. Foreign places, new people, a fresh start.

With a sigh he looks around the stone buildings that tower above him. This is an amazing school and he's lucky to be here, but he can't help feeling as if he doesn't belong and that it shows like a neon sign. People here have accents and shiny credit cards that they flash while driving the type of cars Arthur never thought he would see outside of a magazine.

Lights slice through the night as a sleek, silver Aston Martin slides around the corner with ease. "_As if today couldn't get any worse."_ Arthur thinks as it rolls to a stop in front on him. Hoping it's not someone looking for directions considering his lack of knowledge about this area, Arthur leans back onto the bench and pulls his wool coat closer to his body and studies his worn leather shoes. Another thing that bothers people he's met, Arthur wears four piece suits while everyone else would rather run around in clothes that were purposefully destroyed in means of looking cool or tough. They think he's "trying to hard" or a "poser", but Arthur has never had clothes like these to wear before. Dressing nicely makes him feel confident and in control.

_We can run away baby come as you are _

_you can look at my heart as your getaway car _

_we can drive all night it will be alright _

_love can take us so far in your getaway car_

"Arthur? What are you doing out here, darling_?"_

Glancing up Arthur sees Eames standing in front of him. They met in an English class when Eames was a little early and saw Arthur sitting in the room by himself. Arthur still wants to slap himself for the red blush that spread across his neck and cheeks when they first talked. When a warm body slid into the seat next to him Arthur looked up to see a bright, white smile aimed directly at him. Good lord, did Eames look amazing, it was still warm out and the Brit had been wearing a grey t-shirt with tight jeans and aviators that he slide off smoothly to introduce himself.

They talked until the class had started and afterwards Arthur exited the class to meet an ecstatic Ariadne that told him all about the handsome stranger he'd met. She told him that Eames was from England (which he already figured out for himself) and that the kind of money his family has makes the snobs Arthur hadn't gotten along with look like peasants (which Arthur did not know). So that ended whatever future interaction they could've had, Arthur knew it was only a matter of time before Eames found out that he was a scholarship student and acted the same as the others.

"My roommate…we had a misunderstanding."

Eames gazes at Arthur for a moment before plopping down on the bench next to him.

"Living with someone you've never met before is never easy, but he has no right to kick you out of _your_ dorm."

Arthur just gives him a small smile and looks back out at the abandoned college campus. Eames lets out a sigh and stretches his legs out in front of him.

"I haven't had a chance to talk to you lately, love. Where have you been?"

Another thing about Eames, he has always called Arthur "love", "darling" or some other pet name. At first this made him uneasy, but after two hours of conversation Arthur assumed that was normal for Eames.

"The library."

"Come on love give me some leeway here. I don't know what I did, but I thought we were having a good time together."

"We were, but it wouldn't have lasted."

"No, why's that?"

"Why do you think?"

"…Really? That's what this has been about?" Eames laughs. "I've been turn down for many reasons Arthur, but never because of money."

"It's not the fact that you _do_ have it, it's that I _don't._ You know what people will think, that I'm after your money or using you for something else."

"Darling, I would gladly let you use me." He says with a smirk.

Shooting him a glare Arthur rises from the bench and starts to walk down the sidewalk.

"Where are you going, Arthur?"

Stopping in his tracks Arthur realizes…nowhere. He doesn't have anywhere he _can_ go if not back to his dorm.

"I…don't know I just want to get away from here for a while, I need a break, but where…."

Fingers grab at his jacket and gently tug him to face Eames. He has a gentle smile on his face when Arthur meets his eyes.

"Wish granted, love."

Eames pulls him over to the waiting Aston Martin that's gleaming in the streetlight.

"What?"

With a grand sweep of his arm Eames says, "This is your getaway car, darling."

_All we need is the open road _

_and more fuel for the fire inside us _

_steer us on to lands unknown _

_and we can leave this world behind _

_and all i know is you and me _

_that's all we'll need to start all over again _

Sitting in the passenger seat Arthur notices the way the seat seems to hug his body forcing the feelings of peace and comfort to seep into his every pour. Eames starts the engine and a quiet purr sounds that makes Arthur smile before Eames expertly maneuvers the car towards a street that leads to a barely used road. After a moment of hesitation Arthur rolls the window down and feels the cold wind sweep into the car, Eames just grins and increases their speed. The warm hues of the sun can be seen as they drive; chasing the horizon.

And yes, this is what Arthur wants, freedom. He sticks his hands out the window and watches as it wavers with the force of the wind. Leaning his head back against the cool leather Arthur closes his eyes and listens to the engine as it growls.

Eames veers off onto another abandoned back road. They've traveled far in a short amount of time and Arthur sighs as he looks out at the meadow alight with fireflies.

"Where are we going?" Arthur as softly, not wanting to break the newfound peace.

"Where do you want to go, darling?"

Arthur laughs, "Well you're the one driving."

"But this is your getaway car, love. Where ever you want it to take you, that's where it will go."

"Does that mean you're going to run away with me?"

"Of course, darling." Eames flashes him a grin, "You didn't think I was going to be left behind."

"And then what would you do? It's not like we would have any money."

With a sharp turn of the wheel Eames drives onto a dirt road that leads into a field. In a flash he's out of the car and pacing in the head lights. Hesitantly Arthur gets out and walks up to meet him.

"Eames-"

"Why is it always money, Arthur? We talked for two hours and it was the _best_ two hours of my life, just _talking_ to you! And then, nothing. I try to talk to you, you ignore me. I talked to your friends to see if they knew what happened and Adriane said; _money. _Why is that such a problem for you?"

"Well maybe, Eames it's because _I don't have any!_ This-this whatever would never work because you and me? Two completely different worlds. You don't _know_ what's like to think of a hundred dollars as _a lot_ of money! And sooner or later we would clash and then what? I mean I really-I want…"

Cutting himself off Arthur kicks the dirt in frustration. How could Eames not _see_ how bad any relationship between them could be? He's startled when Eames frames Arthurs face between his hands and meets his gaze.

"Run away with me. Let's just get in the car and drive until we find a place we both like then start over."

Bringing his hands up to clasp Eames' wrists Arthur smiles thinly and shakes his head.

"And what happens when you get tired of me? Of our adventure? You go back to your mansion and I have absolutely no money or chance to get back into a school like this."

With a sigh Eames presses his lips to Arthur forehead and neither of them move for a minute. Then they go back to the car and Eames turns up the volume to drown out the hurt and bitter silence.

_turn up the radio (radio) _

_don't look back again (no) _

_let me put the pedal down, get us out of this town _

_don't be afraid to ride_

The melody soothes their nerves as they look both right; leading back to college and safety and left; leading to adventure and chance. The rustling of trees sounds through the open windows. Eames looks at Arthur and with a determined look; holds his palm face up for Arthur to take.

"I love you. I know it sounds crazy, but this is our last chance, darling. If we go back-"

"I know."

Left?

Right?

_we can run away baby come as you are _

_you can look at my heart as your getaway car _

_we can drive all night it will be alright _

_love can take us so far in your getaway car_

The sound of tires on concrete and a garage opening snaps Arthur out of his thoughts. Sitting on the front steps of his home Arthur watches a black Mercedes glides into the garage. Rubbing his hands over his face he laughs a little when he thinks of the memory he was revisiting. Two young men, wild and crazy, with two choices in front of them. How could they have thought they could run away from everything? Made anything of themselves? Looking at the luxurious home he now lives in and feeling the fine tailored suite he can afford, thinking about what could've happened Arthur can't remember why he even considered it.

Even dared.

Shaking his head Arthur walks down to the garage and strolls past the Mercedes to lean against the car covered with a tarp. The black door swings open and leather loafer's pad against the floor, the man wearing them gives a tired sigh before going to the backseat for his suitcase. Once their unloaded the man leans against the Mercedes opposite Arthur.

They stare at each other a few moments, both taking the other in after a month apart. Twisting around, Arthur grabs an edge of the tarp and flips it off before walking up the other mam and leaning against him.

"Run away with me."

"What? You can't be serious." He says with a laugh.

"Let's disappear and start all over again, you and me."

"You don't want someone younger, someone…not married? Maybe someone with a little more muscle?"

"No, come as you are. I want you, only you."

"Well then, we need a getaway car, darling."

With a grin Arthur dangles keys in front of a smiling Eames before sliding into the driver seat of the sleek, silver Aston Martin. The engine starts with the same purr it had twenty years ago and then glides towards the abandoned roads.

They went left. Of course they did what else could they have done? It would have been easier to go back to college and never see each other again, but happiness, _true_ happiness had been in their reach. They both got what they had always wanted and what they never dared to hope for; a person willing to be the others escape from everything. Their safe place where they didn't have to be anyone but themselves and they were always welcome, just as they were.

Their friends say it was fate, their enemies luck.

But Arthur and Eames are pretty sure it was because they had the perfect getaway car to leave those doubts behind, with the only people who believed them.

_we can run away, baby _

_you can look at my heart as your getaway car _

_all we need is the open road c'mon, _

_c'mon baby let's go now now, yea _

_ooo, baby, ooo ooo _

_you can use my heart as your getaway car_

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A/N: Basically this was to prove to myself that I could still write outside of the True Blood world lol needed a little bit of a break and I _love_ this song so much! Also a while back I promised someone that I was going to write an Inception chapter fic. I started it, but it probably won't be posted until after my other two fics are done. Hope you liked it and that I haven't lost my touch to write my two favorite Inception men. Reviews feed the muse monster :) rawr!


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